Calcium Quantification Assay Kit (Luminometric)

Calcium flux assays are preferred methods in drug discovery for screening G protein coupled receptors (GPCR). This kit uses a highly calcium-sensitive and membrane-permeable coelenterazine analog as a calcium indicator for the cells that are transfected with apoaequorin gene. Aequorin is a calcium-sensitive bioluminescent protein from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria that has been used extensively as a calcium indicator in cells. The aequorin complex emits blue light when bound to calcium ions. The luminescence intensity is directly proportional to the Ca2+ concentration. This kit is much more sensitive than the fluorescence-based calcium assays. This kit provides an optimized assay method for monitoring the G-protein-coupled receptors and calcium channels. The assay can be performed in a convenient 96-well or 384-well microtiter-plate format and easily adapted to automation. It might be useful for monitoring the intracellular calcium mobilization in a specified compartment given that recombinant apoaequorin proteins can now be targeted to specific organelles, cells and tissues. This kit is more sensitive than the fluorescent calcium assays.